Short story: “Ralia The Sugar Girl” (chapter 3)

The next morning was a sore one, I woke up to a throbbing pain at the side of my head. Michael never stopped apologising for the blow to the side of my head, he said “I had to stop you from running to your death.”

Though the pain was gone, something far disturbing took its place, anger. Anger that I couldn’t get my palms around Eze Nunu’s neck, that slimy old man.

Micheal promised to tell me everything I needed to know after breakfast, neither of us spoke a word as we dug into the beans cake and pap we had for breakfast, I do not know where we are or how far we are from the village, all I know is we are safe, safe from what, I do not know.

“Ahem” I looked up from the heap of letters on my lap. “Your father was a good man” Michael said, he fell silent for a while. “He worked with the State Security Service in Lagoon, as a machinery, he was hired by other government agencies who needed something done, or someone found.”

“Fourteen years ago, on your fourth birthday, a terrorist contacted your father, the terrorist gave him the location to a very dangerous weapon, a weapon that could wipe out an entire nation.” He reached for a glass of water and drained it in one gulp, he poured himself another. “So what happened next?” I asked.

“For the past eight years, government and private agencies have searched for this weapon, until someone was able to link the terrorist to your father. He was framed for the assassination attempt on the president, they gave him a choice, divulge the location or die.”

“He chose death over his daughter” I said, tears rolled down my cheek.

“No, he knew he was going to die either way. And your well been is the only thing he seeks after death. That is the reason I was sent to protect you.”

“From what?” I asked. “From the people who killed your father, before I came here, he told me you are the only one apart from him who can find the location of the weapon.”